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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cue — a hint
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. club — for golf
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. press — newspapers
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lean — thin
  21. wind — moving air
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — to push
  24. club — a group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com